Congress Overwhelmed: Congressional Capacity and Prospects for Reform

Another frame for looking at congressional function and dysfunction

Diagnoses of the troubles of Congress usually focus on the three P’s: people, parties, and polarization.

Tim LaPira, Lee Drutman, and I add an additional framework: congressional capacity. In short, we say look at the institution itself: is it built to meet the demands placed upon it by the public and the U.S. Constitution? Are its legislators incentivized to do the work expected? Does it have the staff it needs? How about its internal work structures and work processes—are they aligned with Congress’s duties?

You can find the asnwers to these questions and more in our book, Congress Overwhelmed (University of Chicago Press). We also chat about it in the video below.